Store-service apparatus



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. R. ELLIOTT.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. No. 409,098. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

N. Psnznsl PholwLilhogrnpher, Washinginn. 11cv (No ModeL) 4 5Sheets-Sheet 2..

G. R. ELLIOTT. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. No. 409,098. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

w 7 \Q A L A p Xfiw Lp L ili i N. PUERS, Fhclo-Lrlhognphur. Washington. uc.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. R. ELLIOTT. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 409,098. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

I l l 1 'l N. Fuchs. Pholoirhognphur. wmman. u'. c

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. G. R. ELLIOT-T.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 409,098. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

A v II N FETERE PhaloLMugn-npher. Washington, D.C.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. G. R. ELLIOTT. $TORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 409,098. Patented Aug 13, 1889.

I Ill WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

GILBERT RUGGLES ELLIOT", OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,098, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed October 10, 1888. Serial No. 287,727. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GILBERT RUGcLEs EL- LIOTT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of my apparatus as is necessary to explain my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of what is shown in plan in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan illustrating the switch or shunting device on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig.v 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of my cars. Fig. 7 is a plan with the body of the car removed. Fig. Sis a section. Fig. 9 is a modification. Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan showing the tilting track, receiving or drop section, and switch of the same; and Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 10.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus in which a car (preferably of capacity sufficient to carry parcels as well as cash) travels in one direction upon one track and returns upon a second track, these two tracks being connected at the stations-by switchtracks, and each track having a cable for propelling the car. One of these tracks may be called the forwarding and the other the return track, and for convenience l designate the track over which the car passes from the clerk to the cashier, or to the cashier and packer, as the foi'wardingtrack, and thetrack over which the package and the change are returned to the clerk I as the returntrack.

In smaller stores myinvention will include but one pair of tracks and about one-half dozen stations, more or less; but in larger stores a number of pairs of, tracks will be required; but each pair of tracks is in fact a separate and distinct apparatus in itself, and as the tracks ateach station are like those at all the others in everything except what relates to the selection of the car belonging to any particular station it will be only necessary to describe the devices at one station in .order to fully explain my invention.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates the forwarding-track, and a its cable, while A is the re turn-track, and a its cable.

The cars at any station rest upon a receiving drop-track section a at the station. The track at a station is made up of the return and forwarding side tracks a a the switch a the tilting section a, and the receiving drop-section a The receiving drop-section a stands at a convenient height in order that the clerk may readily pack and unpack the car. In practice I prefer to make the tilting section a and the parallel links a of a sufficient length to allow the receiving-section a to rest upon the counter when lowered. The tilting section a and links a are shown far too short in the drawings, as will be clear to all skilled in the art, solely because it is practically impossible to show them at their full length without greatly enlarging the size of the other parts; but the slight confusion thus introduced is immaterial, because the length of the tilting section a and the parallel links a would of course depend in each case upon the distance to which receiv; ing or drop section a is desired to be lowered. The function of the tilting section a is to permit the proper motions of the receiving-sections a" above and below the stationtrack, and also to serve as a way over which the car travels from switch a to and from receiving-section a while the function of the parallel links a is to keep receiving-section a substantially horizontal.

In Fig. 1 tilting section a and the receiving-section a are shown as elevated to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, while in Fig. 2 tilting section a and the receiving section a are shown as lowered, (although not to the full extent desired in practice, the tilting section a and the links a being shown in both Figs. 1 and 2 much shorter than they are in practice for the reasons above given.)

The details of construction of the tilting sec tion a, receiving-section a, links a, and connecting-links a willbe clear from a description of their operation, which is as follows: A car coming over the return-track A will, if it belongs to the station shown in Fig. 1, automatically set the switch Z) so as to switch'the car to the return side track a and the car he longing to the station shown in Fig. 1 will therefore pass from switch I) over side track a", switch a, tilting section a, and onto receiving-section a the whole station-track be ing then substantially horizontal, and the car will be caught and held upon the receivingsection a" by a hook a. The clerk at the station, after the car is thus received and held upon the receiving-section a, pulls upon cord (1, and thereby relieves the friction-band (1 from the tension of spring (P. This frictionband (1, when forced by spring (Z into close contact with friction-wheel (Z prevents the wheel (Z from revolving, and as (Z is fast to drum (1 it also prevents (Z from revolving. The receiving-section a and tilting section a" are lifted and lowered by cord (1, the outer end of which is fast to drum (1, and a part of which cord (Z is wrapped around drum (1" when receiving-section a and tilting section a are horizontal, so that when the frictionband d is prevented from acting as-a brake upon friction-wheel (Z (by a pull on cord d) the weight of the car and of the sections a and a and their connections causes section a", with the car, to move down, unwinding cord (1 from drum (1* and revolving drum (I and friction-wheel d against the force of spring (1, the spring (1 serving merely as a counter balance to prevent the too rapid descent of the car and receiving'section a. After the car has thus been lowered the clerk first puts in the goods sold and' the money or whatever else he desires to send to the cashier or packing-clerk and pulls upon the cord f, thereby moving lever f and forcing friction-wheelft, which is fast to shaft f, into contact with friction-wheel d, and at the same time releasing friction-wheel d from friction-band d, for cord f is connected to cord (1 by cord g. (See Fig. \Vhen friction-wheel f is held .in contact with friction-wheel (Z thelatter is revolved by the shaft f", and this shaft is driven by pulley f", which is driven by the cable a, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be obvious that all that part of cord d which is on the right of cord g in Fig. 2 may be dispensed with, in which case the clerk will pull upon the cord f to relieve frictionwheel (1 from the friction-band (Z, and will again pull upon cord f when he desires to lift the car, the length of pull .in the latter case being greater than that in the former; but I deem it more convenient to have the two pulleys, as shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen cord d has wound upon drum (1, the receiving-section at and the tilting section a are moved up to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. As soon as a and ar become horizontal the bracket on the end of a. engages with a, and thereby keeps a" and a in line, so as to make the inclined track shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the sections co and a make practically one rigid section while they are above the horizontal, and it is for that reason that the links or (whose main function is to keep section a horizontal) are connected to supplemental links a These links a are pinned to studs 1 and rest upon studs 2 when a is at or below the horizontal; but as soon as the sections a" to become practically one rigid section the links a commence to move slightly away from the studs 2, and thereby admit of the motion of sections a a upon the axis 3, which would be impossible if the links a remained horizontal and turned upon the axis of the studs 1. As section (0 moves upward dog 4 strikes arm 5 of rock-shaft 6 and forces that arm backward against the stress of spring on rock-shaft (3; but when section a" is lifted slightly above the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 dog 4 no longer restrains arm 5, and that arm is thrown forward by spring 011 rock-shaft 6 and strikes and releases the retaining-hook by which the car is held on section a, whereupon the car runs down the inclined sections a a, over switch a, and over the forwarding branch a of the stationtrack, and over switch 1) onto in-track A, when it grips the cable. The cashieror packer who unpacks the car forms the goods into a package or bundle, makes change, repacks the car, and changes it from the forwardingtrack A to the return-track A, when it grips the cable a and is returned to the station from which it started.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the switch a is controlled as follows: The arms 7 and 8 are fast to the tilting section a. The outer ends of these arms are so curved that the end of the arm '7 comes in contact with lever 7 which is fulcrumed on stationary plate 3 and moves lever y, and with it lever g and switch (4 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. as sections a and a pass above the horizontal toward the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. :lVhile sections a and a," return to the horizontal the arm 8 acts upon lever y and throws switch 01" to theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 1. It will be obvious that the switch a may be controlled by the car substantially as switches 7) and b are; but for some reasons it is preferable to control it by the motion of section a.

After the car has been released from receivin -section a and has run down inclined track formed by the sections a." a when above the horizontal and has passed over switch a (which is then in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) and onto section a of the StttlOlblllLCk, a projection on the car strikes lever b and thereby throws switch I) in line with the i n-branch a of the station-track.

After the car has run down the inclined track formed by sections a a the clerk releases the cord 1 and allows the leverf to be returned by spring f to the position shown in Fig. 1, separating friction-wheel f 2 from IIO friction-wheel (Z and this allows sections a a to drop to the horizontal, for the reason that friction-band d is not applied by its spring d with force sufficient to prevent the rotation of the drum cl until the sections a a have become'substantially horizontal.

When the car on the return-track A approaches the switch I), a projection on the car strikes the lever 19 and throws switch 1) into the position shown in Fig. 1, if for any reason it should happen to be out of that position, and the proj ect-ion which acts with this lever b to insure continuity of out-track A is on every car. In addition to this projection working with the lever b (which is a safety contrivance designed to make it impossible for the switch I) to be out of line with the out-track A) there is a second project-ion, which and also the lever b are graduated so that only the car which belongs to the station shown in Figs. 1 and 2 will strike the switchlever b on that station; but whenever a car which belongs to any particular station approaches switch I), which connects that station with the return-track A, its second connection strikes the, lever 12 and throws the switch I), so as to connect the return-track A with the branch a of the station-track.

In practice it would sometimes happen that a car from some other station would be passing along the forwarding-track A at or near the switch I) just as a car from the station shown in Fig. 1 was passing from section a of the station-track onto switch b,which would be a defect of great importance, and in order to prevent this, rock-shaft 6,which carries the releasing-arm 5, has a notched hub h, which engages apawl h, which pawl is carried by a stud 71 so that it can spring inward in its position shown in Fig. 2, but cannot move any farther out. This stud b is carried by arod 7L3, which is linked to one side of the track A and in such relation to the car that a projection on the car will lift rod 71?, thereby throwing stud 7L2 toward hub h and causing the spring-pawl 7L to press against the hub h, so that arm 5 of rock-shaft 6 should be forced back by the upward motion of section a. Vhile rod its is thus lifted and stud 7L moved toward hub 7r, with spring-pawl h pressed against hub 7t, spring-pawl 7t would engage the hub h and prevent the relievin g-arin 5 from being moved forward and releasing the car on section a until the car on track A, and whose projection lifted rod 7L3, had passed clear of rod Jr, when rod h will move back not only by its own weight, but also by the action of spring on rock-shaft 6, and releasing-arm 5 willthen release hook at and allow the car on section a to run down the inclined track a a. I

It will be observed that the car has no connection with the cable while on the stationtrack, and it will therefore be obvious that after the car leaves section a of thestationtrack its grip must be carried into proper re-.

lation with the cable and be closed upon the cable. To accomplish this the track a is depressed at each side of the grip-closing jaws 7' so that the lower end of the jaws of gri 3 .7 1

pass over the cable as the car passes over the switch 5, and then down as the car runs down the incline on the jawsjj' in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby bringing the cable between the jaws of the grip, and these jaws as the car passes along the depressed portion of the track enter between jaws jj, which forces the grip-jaws together and causes them to grip the cable. These grip-jaws are shown in Fig. 8, and one of them 76 is preferably made with a springface, as shown in that figure, while the other is hinged, and after the jaws 7t 7c are closed upon the cable they are held by the latch 70 As the car rises after passing the closing-jaws 7 j, the cable is-also slightly lifted by the grip is k and the lower end of the grip clears the cable-supports.

The grip is released by a projection j which engages with the latch 70 which releases the latch 70 when the grip-jaws k 7tv are thrown apart by their spring. In Fig. 1 two of these projections j are shown near the left-hand end of the out-track A, for when a car on return-track A approaches switch I) one or the other of the projections] will release the latch if. I use two projectionsj for the reason that in practice the cars may be run either end first, and therefore the downwardly-projecting portion of the latch 70 maybe near either side of the track. If the car on track A does not belong to the station shown in Fig. 1, its projection will not strike the switch-lever b and its momentum will carry it along after its grip is loosened by one or the other of the projectionsj at the left of Fig. 1 over switch I) and along return-track A? until its grip is closed again upon the return-cable a by the grip-closing jaws j j, which are shown on the right of switch I) in Fig. 1.

A car coming from some other station than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 on the forwardingtrack A will have its grip released by one or the other of the projections j on the right of switch 1), and will then be carried by its momentum over switch I) and have its grip closed by the jaws j j on the left of switch '1).

The car has a body for receiving the cash or parcel or whatever is to be carried, and, in order to more readily turn curves, has two trucks, each having four wheels, as will be clear from the drawings without further description. The cars are provided with flanges which project under the rails, and thereby prevent the wheels from leaving the same, and these flanges are supported by plates which are so thin as to pass the frogs X. 011 each car there are two projections m, which, for convenience and in order that the car may go either end first, project from opposite sides of the car, and these pins on engage with the lever b and thereby insure that the main track is continuous, this being a matter of precaution, as above explained. There are also on each car graduated projections n, which vary with each car, all the cars belonging to a certain station being alike so far as regards these projections 02., but the cars belonging at one station (littering from those belonging to another station, as will be readily understood by all skilled in the art. These pins or projections 11 engage with the levers b and throw the switches 1) into connection with the entering section a of the stationtrack, and they are made double, in order that the car may be used either end first. A third pair of projections p serve to actuate the rod 71.3, as above explained.

The levers l) b are connected by the rods q to the three-armed lever q, and this lever q actuates the tumbler (1 (see Fig. 5,) which is connected by link q to the frame which carries the tracks which form the switch I). The purpose of this is to insure that the switch I) shall not only be moved to the proper place, but shall also be held there without danger of rebounding or of going too far or of falling.

From Figs. 3, at, and 5 it will be plain that moving either lever 12 or b will throw the long arm of lever q, and that when the long arm of lever q is thrown it will strike one or the other of the forks of the tumbler thereby depressing one of the forks and leaving the other elevated, as plainly shown in Fi 5, and it will be clear that the lever. q will then slip over the upper surface of tumbler g and hold it in place, as shown in Fig. By this contrivance the exact travel desired is given to the switch and the main switch is made positive in both directions. The description of switch I) will be seen to be applicable also to switches a and l).

The operation of my store-service apparatus will be plain from what has been said without further description.

The purpose of the receiving-section a the tilting section a, and the parallel links a is to raise and lower a car without tipping it oil the tilting section a", and the parallel links a7, acting on the well-known principle of the parallel-ruler, enable the section a to be 'aised and lowered below the plane of the main track, and yet section (0 remains horizontal. It will be obvious that in all cases where the section a is not required to be raised above the plane of the main track the links a would be unnecessary. Of course it is evident that the feature of my invention which consists in the combination of the elevatorcords' with the cable of the cable railway by means of a shaft which can be connected and disconnected by the attendant with the drum of the elevator-cord is applicable to all cable railways in which the cars are raised and lowered by an elevator.

In the drawings, in connection with the carriers, I have shown four flanges r r r r one pairr 2" being attached to the wheels and the other pair 1' 0'" extending under the track; but it is obvious in a store-service apparatus the flanges which revolve with the wheel may be discarded, and that the flanges which project under the track may be so shaped as to bear against the inner side of each track, and thereby perform all the functions performed by the flanges shown as fast to the wheels, and in some cases it is preferable to use wheels without flanges and rely upon the vertical portions of the flanges to prevent undue sidewise motion of the car, while the horizontal portions of those flanges prevent jumping, as indicated in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 1 all the cars traveling over the return-track A are unclutehed just before they reach switch Z), and are carried by the momentum over switch Z) either onto side track a, if they belong to that station, or else over that part of side track a which is between the rails of the return-track A; but as soon as the clutch has passed over that part of side track a which is between the rails of the out-track A the car descends the depressed portion of return track A, (which is shown near the middle of Fig. 2,) and the grip-jaws are closed upon the cable by the grip-closing jaws j j. (Shown near the middle of return-track A in Fig. 1.) All cars upon the forwarding-track A must also be unclutehed before their grips will pass that part of the side track a" which is between the rails of the forwarding-track A, and also to enable their grips to pass the pulley f", and their grips must be again closed after they have passed the pulley f and that part of the side track a" which is between the rails of the forwarding-track A, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 2.

It is clearly evident that numerous changes and modifications can be made in the form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to confine myself to the precise construction herein set forth, but consider myself entitled to all such changes and modifications.

\Yhat 1 claim as my invention is 1. In a storc'service apparatus, the combination of the conveying-cable, a pulley and shaft revolved by the same, and a carrierreceiving drop-section connected with and adapted to be raised by said shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a shaft driven by the conveyingcable, a drum loosely mounted on the shaft, a carrier-receiving drop-section, an elevatorcord connecting said section and drum, and means whereby the drum can be thrown in or out of gear with the shaft to raise the dropsection or allow the .same to be lowered, substantially as described.

3. In a store-service apparatus, a receiving drop-section, in combination with a pivoted hooked lever or catch carried by the dropsection to hold a carrier on the same, a rockshaft having an arm, and a spring to actuate the same in one direction, said arm adapted to be thrown back by the upward movement of the drop-section and then released .to spring forward and detach the catch from the car, substantially as described.

4. In a store-service apparatus, the carrierreceiving drop-section provided with a catch to hold a carrier thereon and an arm to release the catch, in combination with a main track provided with a rod linked thereto and connected with said releasing-arm and adapted to be lifted by an engaging projection on a passing carrier, and thereby prevent said arm from releasing the carrier from said receiving-section, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the carrier-receiving drop-track and a carrier-holding latch,of a latch-lifting arm, a rock-shaft, a lockingpawl to engage the rock-shaft, and a main track provided with a rod linked thereto, the linked rod adapted to be lifted by the engaging projection of a passing carrier, and thereby raise the pawl and lock the latch-lifting arm and prevent the release of a carrier on the receiving-section while another carrier is passing on the main track, substantially as described.

6. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a track, a switch, a forked tumbler pivotally connected with the switch to throw the same, an armed lever pivoted on the track with one of its arms loosely located between the arms of the tumbler to swing the tumbler and lock the same, and a pivoted lever or arm connected with said armed lever and adapted to be operated by a passing car to throw the switch, substantially as described.

7. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a two-rail main track,atwo-rail side track, a pivoted two-rail section of the main track at the junction of main and side tracks movable to place the side and main tracks in continuity or insure continuity of main track, a horizontally-swinging lever between the rails of the track and connected with and adapted to swing said section, and a pair of levers connected with said horizontal lever to swing the same in opposite directions, and having extending arms to be engaged by passing carriers to throw said section in one direction or the other, substantially as described.

8. A store-service apparatus comprising a car provided with cable-grips, a conveying-cable, a main track above the cable, a side track, the main track being depressed below the cable near the junction of main and side tracks, for the purpose set forth, projections on the track on one side of said depression for opening the grip-jaws, and jaws or guides in the depression for closing the grip-jaws, substantially as described.

9. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of receiving drop-section a tilting section a, and parallel links (H, substantially as described.

10. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of receiving drop-:ection 0. tilting section a", parallel links a and supplemental links a substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the cable, of pulley f, shaft f friction-clutch f d, and drum (1 and dropsection cord (1 substantially as described.

12. I11 combination with a car for storeservice apparatus, the grip consisting of the holding-jaws 7c is and the latch 10 arranged and operating substantially as described.

13. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the conveying-cable and a shaft rotated by the same, of the carrier-elevator, a drum adapted to be rotated by said shaft, and elevator-cords connecting the shaft and drum, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. A store-service apparatus comprising a forwarding cable railway, a return cable railway, a station-track connected with the forwarding and return tracks and adapted to be placed in continuity with either of said tracks, and a receiving drop-track section, substantially as described.

15. A store-service apparatus comprising a forwarding-track, a return-track, a forwarding side track, a switch to throw the forwarding main and side tracks into continuity, a return side track, a switch to throw the return main and side tracks into continuity, a receiving drop-track section, and another switch to throw said drop-track into continuity with either of said side tracks, substantially as described.

16. A store-service apparatus comprising the forwarding and return cable railways, a receiving drop-track, side tracks extending inwardly from the forwarding and return tracks to and connected with the receivingtrack, and means whereby the receiving-track can be dropped from or raised to the plane of said side tracks, substantially as described.

17. A store-service apparatus comprising a track, a receiving drop-track section, and a tilting-track section pivoted at one end to said track and at the other end to said dropsection, substantially as described.

18. A store-service apparatus comprising a track, a receiving drop-track section connected with said track, parallel pivoted supportinglinks pivoted to said drop-track, and means for raising and lowering the drop-section, substantially as described.

19. A storeservice apparatus comprising a forwarding and a return cable railway, a re ceiving drop-track section connected by side tracks with both the forwarding and return tracks, and a switch whereby the receiving- ICC section is capable of being placed in eontinnpivoted levers or arms connected, respectity with either of said. main tracks, subsianively, with opposite arms of said horizontal tially as described. lever and adapted to be operated by passing- 20. In a store-service apparatus, a track and carriers to throw the switch closed or open,

5 aswitcl1,in combination with a tumbler swingsubstantially as described.

ing in avertical plane and located below, 0011- 0 1 a 4 FT T IOTT nected with and adapted to throw the switch, JHbLR F RUCTGLEb I 1 a three-armed lever pivoted to swing in ahori- \Vitnesses:

zontal plane and havingone arm engaging and EDWARD S. BEACH, 1

lo adapted to swing; the tumbler, and a pair of JOHN R. SNOW. 

